Nursing License from Pennsylvania to Delaware: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Delaware accept a Pennsylvania nursing license?
Yes — both Pennsylvania and Delaware are members of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC). If Pennsylvania is your primary state of residence and you hold a multistate license, you can practice in Delaware now; if you are moving your residence to Delaware, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare Delaware your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Compact multistate — already covered
This is the move the compact was built for. Both Pennsylvania and Delaware are NLC members, so the real question is not "does my license transfer" but "is this a relocation or just work". Working in Delaware while living in Pennsylvania — travel contract, remote monitoring, per-diem across the border — needs nothing: your multistate license already covers it. Relocating to Delaware means your primary state of residence changes, and the compact requires you to endorse into Delaware and declare it your new home state. You keep practicing on the old privilege the entire time.
What's different between Pennsylvania and Delaware
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Delaware. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Pennsylvania to Delaware (this page): Compact multistate — already covered.
Delaware to Pennsylvania (the reverse move): Compact multistate — already covered.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Pennsylvania matter?
Pennsylvania gets Delaware's most common result: 39 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get the same one, so for most movers the origin does not change the answer.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (11).
- NLC membership
Pennsylvania and Delaware are both NLC member states.
A multistate license issued by Pennsylvania covers practice in Delaware, and one issued by Delaware covers practice in Pennsylvania.
- Application fee
Delaware lists $181 for an out-of-state applicant and Pennsylvania lists $120–$180 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Exam rules on record
Delaware and Pennsylvania carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Delaware (this move): NCLEX is not retaken; verification of original licensure by examination is obtained through Nursys
- Pennsylvania (the reverse move): NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys
What changes, Pennsylvania → Delaware
| Pennsylvania (current) | Delaware (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| NLC status | NLC member — multistate license honored | NLC member — multistate license honored |
| Application fee | $120–$180 ($120 single-state endorsement / $180 multistate endorsement (multistate requires PA primary residence); + fingerprinting costs; $105 to convert an existing PA license to multistate) | $181 (RN application fee via DELPROS; + Delaware/FBI fingerprint fee; optional temporary permit $40) |
| Processing time | board's licensure guide states no fixed timeframe; delays are reduced by having schools and boards send documents directly to the Board | board publishes no processing time; a temporary permit may be issued while the application is pending |
| Licensing authority | Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing | Delaware Board of Nursing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Delaware sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm your current license is an active multistate license in good standing (check it in the verification system).
- If you are moving your primary residence to Delaware: apply for licensure by endorsement with the Delaware Board of Nursing when you move.
- Declare Delaware as your new primary state of residence on that application.
- Complete Delaware's fingerprint/background check requirement if requested.
- Keep practicing — your multistate privilege remains valid during the transition (do not let the old license lapse before the new one issues).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Do I retake the NCLEX moving from Pennsylvania to Delaware?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere.
What does the move cost?
If you are only working across the border, nothing. If you are relocating your residence to Delaware: $181 (RN application fee via DELPROS; + Delaware/FBI fingerprint fee; optional temporary permit $40).
How long will it take?
Practice can continue immediately on the multistate privilege; the residence-change endorsement processes in the background (board publishes no processing time; a temporary permit may be issued while the application is pending).
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- Delaware DPR — RN/LPN License by Endorsement ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Delaware Board of Nursing — Fee Schedule ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- PA Department of State — Nurse Licensure Compact (implementation and fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- PA Department of State — Nursing Licensure Guide (background check, Act 31 CE, verifications) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- 49 Pa. Code § 21.5 — Fees (licensure by endorsement $120) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-10-29
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